Combined lading strap anchor and floor rack holder



1962 G. F. OAKLEY 3,018,995

COMBINED LADING STRAP ANCHOR AND FLOOR RACK HOLDER Filed Jan. 12, 1959 2Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

Gilbert f. flaklgy BY W fliiorneys INVENTOR.

G. F. OAKLEY Jan. 30, 1962 COMBINED LADING STRAP ANCHOR AND FLOOR RACKHOLDER Filed Jan. 12, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 61'! bar? FUa/zley UnitedStates Patent Q Filed Jan. 12, 1959, Sell. No. 7ss,420 1 Claim. (31.ass-294 This invention relates to combined lading strap anchors andfloor rack holders, and more particularly to an assembly having anintegral base portion which includes a lading strap anchor and serves asa support for a movable hook element adapted to use for positioningfloor racks and the like in vehicles such as railway refrigerator cars.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a lading strap anchorhaving an integral extension at one side thereof which serves as asupport for a hook element that normally gravitates to an out-of-the-wayposition and which is movable to an extending position for holdingengagement with floor racks.

As another object, this invention has within its purview the provisionof a unitary structure embodying a lading strap anchor and a support fora movable hook-type floor rack holder, which support includes a pocketin which the floor rack holder normally hangs, and which floor rackholder is readily accessible and movable to a position in which itprojects from the support.

My invention further comprehends a combined lading strap anchor andmovable floor rack holder embodying three operating parts which arenormally separable and subject to quick and easy assembly and which areretained in assembled relationship for use by the structure to which theassembly is secured.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from thefollowing description and the several views of the drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary front elevational view showing the adaptation ofa preferred embodiment of my combined lading strap anchor and floor rackholder to the wall structure of a vehicle, such as a refrigerator car;

FIG. 2 is a top sectional view of the structure depicted in FIG. 1,wherein the section is taken substantially on a line Z-2 of FIG. 1 andin the direction indicated by arrows;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary end sectional view wherein the section is takensubstantially as indicated by a line 3-3 and accompanying arrows in FIG.1;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary end sectional view wherein the section is takensubstantially on a line 44 of FIG. 1 and in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating a portion of thestructure of my combined lading strap anchor and floor rack holder inholding engagement with one type of a floor rack; and

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary end sectional view taken substantially at aposition indicated by a line 6--6 in FIG. 1 and in the direction of thearrows.

In the exemplary embodiment of this invention which is depicted in theaccompanying drawings for illustrative purposes, a combined lading strapanchor and floor rack holder 10 is shown in an application to the wallof a vehicle, such as a refrigerator car, which includes wood stringers12 which form a structural portion of the car wall and extendlongitudinally of the car. In the wall structure illustrated, liningboards 13 provide the inner lining and surface of the car wall. In theillustrated structure, the lining boards 13. extend vertically of thewall and across the horizontal stringers 12, to which they are secured.

The combined lading strap anchor and floor rack holder which isillustrated herein includes an integrally formed 3,018,?) Patented Jan.30, 1962 metal body structure 14 of generally rectangular shape andhaving an over-all thickness corresponding to that of the lining boards13, so that it is adapted to mounting in substantially flushrelationship to the lining boards. At one side of the front face of thebody structure 14, an opening 15 extends through the body from front torear, so that when mounted against the surface of a supportingstructural member, such as the stringer 12, the opening 15 is closed atthe back surface of the body structure to provide a recessed pocket ofgenerally rectangular shape. An anchor post or tongue 16 is integralwith the body structure and extends downwardly from the top of theopening 15 over the lateral mid-portion of the opening with its frontsurface substantially flush with the front surface of the body structureand its rear surface spaced from the rear surface of the body structureto afford space for the engagement of a looped lading strap therewithfor anchoring purposes. Although the anchor post or tongue 16 may extendacross the opening 15, the lower end thereof, in the structuredisclosed, is spaced from the lower surface of the opening 15, so that alooped lading strap anchor may be engaged with the anchor post or tonguefrom the lower end. After being connected thereto, the looped ladingstrap will be retained in its engaged relationship on the anchor post ortongue 16 by engagement with the lower surface of the opening 15.Preferably, the opening 15 has side surfaces 17 and 18 which divergeforwardly toward the front face of the body structure to provide a wideropening at the front of the body structure and limit the tendency toeffect any abrupt bends in a lading strap which is anchored to the post.

Above and below the mid-portion of the opening 15, in the illustratedlading strap anchor and floor rack holder, recesses 19 and 20 areprovided, which recesses are adjoined by substantially concentric bores22 and 23 which extend through the body structure and receive fasteningmeans, such as bolts 24 for securing the body structure firmly andtightly against the surface of the structural member, such as thestringer 12, upon which the body structure is mounted. Nuts 25 which arethreaded onto the bolts 24 for holding the body structure in place fitwithin the recesses 19 and 20 with sufficient space around the nuts forthe use of a suitable wrench for tightening the nuts. With thisarrangement of parts, the body structure is firmly and securely anchoredto the supporting structure at positions closely adjacent the ladingstrap anchor, so that forces applied thereto through an anchored ladingstrap are transmitted quite directly to the supporting structure.

At the other side of the body structure from the opening 15, and inspaced relationship to the opening, a recessed pocket 26 of generallyrectangular shape is provided. At the lateral mid-portion of the top ofthe recessed pocket 26, an opening 27 of generally rectangular shapeextends through the base structure. This opening adjoins the top of therecessed pocket and extends upwardly therefrom. The opening 27, and aswill be more fully explained, a hook type floor rack holder 28 is suspended for swinging movements relative to the base structure. The floorrack holder 28, in the disclosed structure, is of inverted substantiallyT-shape, with a stem portion 29 and a cross bar portion 30 at the lowerend thereof. At the end opposite the cross bar portion 30, the sectionof the stem portion 29 is somewhat enlarged and an opening 32 isprovided therein. The depth of the recessed pocket 26 and the thicknessof the floor rack holder are so related that when the floor rack holderhangs in its normal retracted position, to which it gravitates when notin use, the floor rack holder is entirely within the recessed pocket andthe opening 27, and does not project beyond the front face of the bodystructure. To provide some additional support for the combined ladingstrap anchor and floor rack'holder at the position of the floor rackholder and to further anchor the body structure to the supportingstructure at that position, fastening means, such as a screw 33 extendsthrough a back wall 34- of the recessed pocket and into the woodstringer 12.

Above the recessed pocket 26, another recessed pocket 35 opensrearwardly of the body structure 14. Between the recessed pockets 26 and35 and atopposite sides of the opening 27, aligned partitions 36 and 37separate the pockets and provide a support for means, such as a crosspin 38, which-extends through the opening 32 in thestem portion of thefloor rack holder 28 to support the how rack holder for swingingmovement relative to the body structure. Adjacent one end of the pin 33,an endsurface 39 of the recessed pocket 35 prevents lateral movement ofthe pin 38 to an extent suflicient to effect disengagement of the pinfrom the opening 32 in the stem of the floorrack holder. Adjacent theother end of the pin 38, a lug 40 which is integral with the partition36 projects into the recessed pocket 35 to prevent sufiicient axialmovement of the pin to effect separation of the pin from the opening inthe stern portion of the floor rack holder. Above the opening 27, anintegral partition 42 extends into the recessed opening 35 to limitupward'movement of the floor rack holder and pin to a position in whichthe pin could become separated from the opening in the floor rackholder.

The body structure 14, the floor rack holder 28 and the pin 38'are-substantially fabricated parts of the structural-combination whichare left separate for assembly at the time of themounting of thestructural combination on its-supporting structure in the vehicle. Toeffect the assembly-of the parts just prior to their being put inplaceand secured against'the supporting structure, the stem portion 29of the floor rack holder is thrust through the opening 27 in the bodystructure 14to a position such as that illustrated in dot and dash linesat 28a in FIG. 6. Intthe position 280, the pin 38 is readily insertedinto the opening 32 in' the end of the stem portion of the floor rackholder and the stem portion is then retracted to a position in which thepin rests againstthepartitions 36 and-37. It may be readily understoodthat in use, when thebody structure is mounted against a supportingstructure,qsuch as the stringer 12, the partitions 36, 37 and 42" andthe. end surface 39 and lug 49, as well asthe surface of the mountingstructure, preventdisengagement of the pin from the floor rack holder28. In use, the floor rack holder normally gravitates to aposition inthe recessed. pocket 26 anddoes not interfere with the use ofLth'elading strap anchor. When the vehicle is not in use-for, hauling lading,the cleaning thereof is facilitated byraising the floor racks topositions adjacent the side walls of the. car. Such floor racks arenormally hinged to the car structure adjacent the opposite side wallsand aredivided along the longitudinal mid-line of the floor,

so that: they can be swung from'positions on the floor to positions inwhich they extend upwardly adjacent the opposite side walls. As depictedin FIGS. 2 and 5, some floor racks have slats 43 and 44 extendinglaterally of the car in spaced relationship to one another and slats 45which extend longitudinally of the car in spaced relationship to oneanother. With the disclosed floor rack holder 28, the stem portion 29 ofthe floor rack holder extends between adjacent slats 43 and 44 when thefloor rack holder is swung to a position extending outwardly from thefront surface of the body structure, and the cross bar 35) of the floorrack holder engages the slats 43 and 4-4- to hold the floor rack in itsraised position. It may be understood that the combined lading. strapanchors and floor rack holders of the type disclosed herein arepositioned on the car Wall to accomplish such engagement of the floorrack holders with the floor racks when the floor racks are raised. Sincethe floor racks are only raised for cleaning purposes and the like whenthe car is not in use for hauling lading, there are no lading strapsconnected to the anchors during that period, which would interfere withthe use and operation of the floor rack holders or the ease of accessthereto.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

In a combined lading strap anchor and floor rack holder, the combinationcomprising a substantially T- shaped floor rack holder of predeterminedthickness having a stem portion with a cross bar portion extendinglaterally of one end of the stem portion and a hole in the other endthereof, said hole having an axis substantially parallel to the crossbar portion of the floor. rack holder, a base having a front face with arecessed pocket therein which has top and bottom ends and opensforwardly of the front face, said recessed pocket having a depthsubstantially equal to the, thickness of thefloor rack holder, said basehaving an opening therein ad joining and extending upwardly from-the topof the midportion of the recessed pocket and of a size for receivingthe'stem portion of the floor rack holder, said'stem portion projectingthrough said opening with the cross bar portion extending laterally ofthe bottom end of the recessed pocket opposite the opening, and meanscomprising a pin extending through said hole in the stem and engagingthe base on opposite sides of said opening and at opposite ends of thepin for supporting the floor rack holder for swinging movement relativeto the base between positions in which the stem and cross bar are insaid recessed pocket and in which the stem projects outwardly from thefront face of the base.

References Cited in'the'file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,226,042 Zane Dec. 24, 1940 2,291,472 Johnston July 28, 1942 2,632,409Nelson ,et a1 .Mar. 24, 1953 2,856,865 Reynolds et al Oct. 21, 1958

